


One Thousand Kisses

by abusing_sarcasm (Camden)



Category: Glee
Genre: Background canon pairings, M/M, Minor Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel, No bashing though, Not Blaine or Klaine Friendly, minor blaine/sebastian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-20
Updated: 2014-09-20
Packaged: 2018-02-18 04:14:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2334896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Camden/pseuds/abusing_sarcasm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dave Karofsky makes a semi-triumphant return to McKinley, Sebastian is weaselly, and everyone sings their feelings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Thousand Kisses

**Author's Note:**

> This goes AU sometime mid-season three. I started writing it directly after "The First Time" aired so it's canon-compliant up to that point, and I imagine it to take place around the time the students are returning to school after Christmas break. As a Kurtofsky shipper, I was incensed that Dave kissing Kurt had been so thoroughly condemned, but that Blaine's actions in "The First Time" were being so easily dismissed. I tried to be objective and non-bashy about Blaine, but if you're a hardcore Blaine stan, this may not be for you. I wrote the first 10,000 or so words of this during S3, but things were going so not-how-I-wanted on the show that I abandoned the show, then the fic, and then the fandom in general. But recently, I found it, re-read it, and when I got to the end, I was pissed that it was unfinished because I was really enjoying it. So I decided it deserved to be finished. Apparently the Glee Gods agreed with me, because I finished it right before the announcement that Karofsky is returning to Glee. Too little too late, I say, because I think this is how it SHOULD have happened. Huge thank you to my ever-amazing Raven for betaing, and for my Lizzy for telling me to post this. :)

After running into Dave Karofsky at Scandals, Kurt sometimes thinks he should have asked for his number, or added him on Facebook or something. It seems kind of sad that he saw Dave and they formed a tentative truce, but nothing's ever come of it. He could also use another gay male in his life, because lately some things have been bothering him and he's not sure who to ask.

His main issue is that complete trollop with the face like a ferret and the morals of a mink, Sebastian, who will not keep his rodenty little paws away from Blaine. Honestly, Kurt never knew people acted like this outside of soap operas. He's no stranger to inappropriate crushes, and he's been guilty of being a little... _overt_ himself, but Sebastian takes it to new lows. And the worst part is that Blaine won't tell him to stop.

Blaine, sweet demure Blaine, thinks that calling attention to it would only feed the troll. He says their relationship is rock-solid and that having some base creature sniffing around shouldn't even be a blip on their radar.

If it were anyone else, Kurt would think they liked the attention, but it isn't like Blaine to have his head turned by such shallow behavior.

But sometimes, late at night when Kurt's alone in bed, doubts creep in and he remembers things like Blaine's crush on Jeremiah, who, let's face it, had been more artistically chiseled and artfully tousled than Kurt could ever hope to be without the help of an actual chisel. It's not like Blaine is blind to mainstream attractiveness, and while Kurt knows he's pretty and looks sinful in a pair of well-cut trousers, he still can't help fixating on Sebastian's toothpaste-commercial smile and perfectly defined arm muscles.

It's times like this when it would be helpful to have a confidante, because he's just not sure if the correct response is to back Blaine up, get mad at Blaine, or perhaps just kill Sebastian with a fork.

Life is confusing.

And it gets a little more confusing when, after a night when he actually thinks of Dave Karofsky, thinks about trying to find him online to say, "Hey, what do you think I should do? And how large of a fork?" he arrives at school and finds Dave's name on other peoples' lips as well.

It's odd because Dave had implied that he was happy at his new school. He'd been playing football and being closeted, and it had seemed to agree with him. However, he's definitely back. Kurt hears it from three different people before first period, even.

Blaine is the hardest-hit by the news, since Kurt hadn't ever actually bothered to tell him about running into Dave at Scandals. That's not exactly Kurt's fault, though, as he'd been sort of distracted by Sebastian's epic whoredom and later, Blaine getting his Melrose Place on and attempting to deflower Kurt. It was sort of a dramatic night, and, contrary to what one would expect, meeting up with Dave Karofsky was one of the least exciting things that had happened that night. 

Blaine also hadn't been around to witness the Bully Whips era, so even though he's heard all about it, he's never fully trusted it. He immediately begins to treat Kurt like a particularly fragile baby bird, and no matter how many times Kurt says that he's not worried about seeing Karofsky – and in fact sort of wants to run into him so he can say hi – Blaine persists in acting like this is a tragedy on par with Princess Di's death or Hurricane Katrina or something.

When Kurt finally sees him in the hall just after lunch, he doesn't even say anything to Blaine and Rachel, with whom he'd been conversing. He just walks away and makes a beeline for Dave. "Hello, David."

"Kurt," Dave says, his face blossoming into a wide, genuine smile. "Hey."

There's an odd beat where Kurt thinks that if they had any less baggage, they'd be hugging, but the baggage is still hanging around, so he just extends his hand. Dave takes it, engulfing it in both of his larger ones, making it into something a bit more affectionate than a handshake. Kurt can't help smiling back. "So... Are you visiting? Or...?"

"No, I'm back," Dave says, letting go of Kurt's hand as a shadow crosses his face. "Things got kind of bad at my other school. Turns out that it's kind of hard to stay in the closet if you're hanging out at a gay bar on the weekends."

"Well, I could have told you it probably wasn't the best idea," Kurt says.

Dave snorts a little. "I guess I figured if anyone else came in there, they'd be gay, too, and they wouldn't want me to say anything either. But a big group of girls from my school went there one night and they saw me. It was everywhere by the next Monday," he finishes with a shrug. "Who knew girls went to gay bars just to dance? I didn't know that was a thing."

"Rookie mistake," Kurt says, patting his arm. "So are you here to get back in the closet?"

"No, I'm done with that. Going to Scandals and hanging with my friends there has taught me a lot. I'm not worried about it. But I figured if I was gonna be out, I'd be better off doing it here where there are other out gay people, and where I have real friends. I mean, like, Azimio," he says quickly, like he's worried Kurt will think he meant _they_ were real friends.

"Well, you have more friends than just Azimio here," Kurt says earnestly, wondering how much time he has to let pass before he can ask Dave about the Sebastian problem.

"You mean that?" Dave asks, smiling wide again.

"Of course. Just be honest with people. I'm sure all the other football players will be supportive, especially the ones in Glee. I'll say something to Finn if you want."

"Nah, I'll talk to him. But hey, that means a lot."

"Anytime," Kurt says. He can feel Blaine and Rachel staring at him from down the hall, so he gives Dave's arm one more friendly pat and says, "See you around," before turning to walk back over to his boyfriend.

"Kurt, what were you _doing_?" Blaine asks, his tone of voice implying that Kurt had been dipping puppies in acid.

"I kept trying to tell you that Karofsky's reformed, but you seemed determined not to hear me," Kurt says. "He's out now, by the way."

"Out of what?" Rachel asks.

"The closet."

Rachel gasps and puts a hand to her mouth. "So many things just started making so much sense."

"I know, right?"

"He's really out?" Blaine asks. Kurt rolls his eyes, wondering if perhaps he should take Blaine down to Miracle Ear.

"Yes. He's capital-G-gay and he doesn't care who knows it. Dave Karofsky likes dick. Tell your friends. But we have a duty to make sure no one harasses him."

"You're thinking of that after the way he treated you?" Blaine asks, making a little face.

"Karofsky had a list of issues longer than Sue Sylvester's inseam, but he's been working through them one by one, and I for one am proud of him. And I intend to be his friend. I hope that won't be a problem," Kurt says, planting his feet defiantly.

Blaine can be slightly unpredictable when it comes to when he chooses to pick fights, but luckily he lets this issue go. "Of course not. He's one of us."

"I'll tell the others in Glee," Rachel says. "They'll help, too, I'm sure." With that, she hurries off.

"I'm sure Karofsky's safety is the main reason she wants to tell everyone," Blaine says with a smirk.

"Rachel is nothing if not transparent. Oh, and we should probably start calling him Dave."

Blaine makes a little face, but he nods, taking Kurt's hand and lacing their fingers together. "Walk you to class?"

"Of course," Kurt says, squeezing Blaine's fingers.

~*~

The next few days pass uneventfully, and he even manages to have coffee with Blaine twice without Sebastian somehow nosing his way in. Kurt hasn't even heard the name 'Sebastian' mentioned in conversation in a fortnight, and he's starting to relax. So of course, that's when everything goes to hell in a handbasket.

He's sitting in Glee Club, minding his own business, playing very subtle footsie with Blaine, when a hush falls over the room. He looks up and Dave's standing in the doorway, looking shy. Santana gets up with a grin and hurries over to him, pulling him into the room with a wide grin. "Mr. Schue? We've got a try-out for you!"

Blaine kicks Kurt's ankle bone hard, hopefully by accident, but Kurt can't stop looking at Dave's face, pink with self-consciousness but still hopeful. Mr. Schuester smiles broadly at Dave. "David, welcome. I always hoped you'd find your way back here."

He leans in and says something to Dave too quietly for Kurt to hear, but Dave blushes further and shakes Mr. Shuester's hand. It seems as if his position in the club is already assured, and Kurt isn't sure how he feels about that. He'd intended to befriend Dave, sure, but Glee is his haven, his solace.

Blaine clenches Kurt's forearm. "Is he really going to do this?"

"It would appear so," Kurt says, for lack of a better response.

Blaine sniffs disapprovingly, and Kurt can see several other members of the club wearing confused or suspicious faces.

Dave says something to Brad and then goes and stands nervously in the center of the room. When everyone settles, he shuffles his feet and says, "I've tried a lot of stuff to make peace with you guys, but I've never done it by being myself. I'm hoping that will work better for me."

He gives a little nod and Brad starts playing a slow melody. As Dave begins with, "Maybe I didn't treat you, quite as good as I should have," Kurt realizes it's "Always On My Mind." It's a slow, croony version, and Dave's remarkably good. His voice is low and velvety, with an old-fashioned quality to it that immediately makes Kurt think of duet possibilities.

Guiltily, he pushes the thought away. He already has a duet partner, even if Blaine's voice is better suited to pop than the old standards.

When Dave's voice soars into the chorus, he finally looks at Kurt, as if he's been forcibly keeping himself from doing it until now. He looks right into Kurt's eyes, and sings, "You were always on my mind," and Kurt _feels_ it. A full-body shiver runs through him and he's glad Blaine's moved his hand away because Kurt would be hard-pressed to explain the goosebumps.

Dave doesn't look away from Kurt for the rest of the song, and when he finishes, the club erupts into clapping and cheers. Several people rush forward to slap him on the back and show their approval, but Kurt can't move.

Blaine hasn't moved either, and when Kurt looks over at him, Blaine's forehead is furrowed and his mouth has a grim set. "He just sang that to you," Blaine says, finally. "Right in front of me."

"I think it was an apology, Blaine. I doubt it was anything more than that," Kurt says. 

Blaine snorts. "'Give me one more chance to keep you satisfied' isn't an apology," he mutters. 

Kurt starts to defend the song further, but he realizes they're the only people still seated which looks kind of bad, so he stands and goes down to join the circle around Dave.

"That was lovely," he says, touching Dave's shoulder tentatively. He wants to ask if he's right in his suspicions about Dave's song choice, but everyone is still grouped around and Kurt doesn't want to bring up anything personal.

When he chances a look back, Blaine is still sitting stubbornly in his chair, arms crossed. His attitude obviously hasn't gone unnoticed, as Finn tugs Kurt's arm and asks, "What's Blaine's problem?"

"He thinks Dave sang the song to me."

"Well, he was kinda looking at you," Finn says, shuffling his feet a bit.

"I think he was just trying to apologize," Kurt says again.

Finn nods like that makes sense. "I told him before, after the big 'Thriller' halftime show thing that if he ever wanted to join Glee Club, he'd have to apologize to you."

"That's all in the past," Kurt says. "I'm not holding a grudge against him."

"Good," Finn says, smiling broadly at Kurt.

A quick glance at Blaine shows that he certainly doesn't share Finn's opinion of Kurt's charitable attitude. Kurt raises an eyebrow pointedly at Blaine, and Blaine finally stands, coming down to join Kurt with the least possible enthusiasm.

"Blaine, it's not a big deal," Kurt tells him.

Blaine nods and takes Kurt's hand firmly. "I know. Sorry. That was just a bit... much."

Privately, Kurt thinks it's pretty rich of Blaine to have a jealous fit over Dave singing a song of apology to Kurt when Blaine lets Sebastian say the most outrageous and overt things and never even calls him on it, but he's not going to start a fight over it. The song is over, Dave Karofsky has joined Glee Club, and the world will keep turning.

~*~

The strange thing is that Dave fits sort of seamlessly into the Glee Club as if he's always been there. Kurt had expected Dave to gravitate toward himself and Blaine, but Dave usually sits with Finn or Sam or Puck, and when Kurt can catch snatches of their conversation, it's usually about sports or music or video games. Sam's been teaching him the guitar, and Kurt overhears that Finn actually went over to Dave's house for a hockey game.

It's like he's always been their buddy or something, and it sort of rankles because he was supposed to be _Kurt's_ friend. Not like Kurt put a claim on him or anything, but now that he's out, shouldn't he be hanging with his fellow gays?

Kurt tries to express this to Blaine, but Blaine rolls his eyes. "I'm glad he's not trying to hang around you. After his audition song, I expected him to follow you around, mooning like a schoolgirl."

It's a good opening and Kurt takes it. "You mean like Sebastian does to you?"

Blaine's gaze slides away guiltily. "Sebastian doesn't really like me. He's just a flirt. He's like that with everyone."

"Oh really? Than why does he seem to hate _me_? And everyone else? And only like you?"

"You're making way too much of this, Kurt. There's no need to make things uncomfortable by calling him out on it. He's harmless."

Kurt wants very much to kick and scream that no, Sebastian is _not_ harmless, because he's _doing harm_ to Kurt, specifically to his self-esteem, his sense of security, and his hope for a happily-ever-after with Blaine. But he's still in a place where he's not sure if his anger is justified or not, so he clamps his mouth shut and nods in acceptance.

Blaine smiles approvingly, petting Kurt's hair back off his forehead, and asks, "Movie on Friday?" as if they hadn't just been fighting. And maybe they hadn't been. Maybe it was in Kurt's head all along.

~*~

The next day, the Dave issue crashes to the fore again, as Puck announces to the glee club that he, Dave, and Sam have worked out a number.

"Me an' Sam have been giving Dave guitar lessons. He's pretty decent for a beginner," Puck says, high praise coming from him.

Mr. Schuester cedes the floor, and after some shuffling, Sam and Dave arrange themselves on either side of Puck, all three of them sitting on stools with acoustic guitars in hand. When they begin the opening chords, Kurt recognizes it as Matchbox Twenty's "If You're Gone," and he immediately feels a prickle of foreboding, because as apology songs go, it's a pretty good one.

However, Dave doesn't seem to be in charge, as Sam sings the first verse and Puck takes over on the chorus. Dave only sings a few snatches of backup, lulling Kurt into thinking he might just be there to practice his guitar playing. He's doing a nice job, as far as Kurt can tell. His hands are moving more slowly and in less complicated motions than the others', but Kurt doesn't hear any discordant notes, so he must be doing his job.

Kurt's just getting into it – even Blaine leans over unprompted and says, "They sound really great together!" – when Dave starts singing the second verse. 

His eyes find Kurt's with deadly accuracy as he croons, "I bet you're hard to get over," and Kurt breathes shallowly through his mouth for the rest of the verse, unaware of anything but Dave's eyes boring into his. 

Even when Puck takes the chorus again, Dave doesn't look away from Kurt. His hands are still moving on the guitar and he still joins in on a few lines of the song with practiced ease, but he's still looking at Kurt like there's no one else in the room.

Kurt's starting to understand that whole 'lots of breathing room but not able to move' part of the song when Blaine elbows him. Hard. "Ow," Kurt squeaks, rubbing his ribcage.

"I'm pretty sure it counts as cheating if he manages to penetrate you with his eyeballs," Blaine says drily, folding his arms across his chest.

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure it counts even more if you let a guy who clearly wants to be with you call you on the phone and instead of immediately hanging up on him like a decent person, you _chat_ with him like you're some kind of _chatting buddies_ ," Kurt hisses back.

"I'm not discussing this here, Kurt," Blaine says, as if Kurt is making a scene. Blaine started it by throwing 'bows over something that had clearly been no fault of Kurt's. So what if Dave was looking at him? It's an apology song. It's not like it had been a love song. It still wouldn't be Kurt's fault even if Dave _did_ sing a love song to him, but Kurt promises himself then and there that if it ever comes to that – which it won't; why would it? – Kurt will have the decency to ask him to back off, unlike _some_ boyfriends who shall remain nameless.

Around him, everyone is clapping and Mr. Shuester is saying something about potential for Regionals, but Kurt doesn't feel like milling about with the others. 

They're about to leave when Mr. Schuester claps his hands and says, "Don't forget, Tuesday we're going to be doing those duets I was talking about, so come down here and pick a card for your random partner."

"We're doing duets?" Kurt asks Blaine, forgetting for a moment that he's still angry.

"Haven't you been listening?" Blaine asks, standing up and moving toward the front. Kurt glares at his back and follows him down, plucking one of the last remaining playing cards from Mr. Schue's hand. It's the Queen of Diamonds, which Kurt appreciates. 

Blaine wordlessly shows Kurt his card, which is the King of Clubs. Kurt shakes his head and Blaine makes a face. Kurt isn't sure why Blaine is upset, though, since he's pretty sure they're in a fight, which would make doing a duet something of a challenge.

Most people are already paired – Kurt sees Blaine talking animatedly with Brittany and he steels himself for another P!nk number – but Kurt notices Dave shuffling nervously on the outskirts of the crowd, flicking his card with one thumbnail. Kurt walks over to him and holds up his card. Dave smiles shyly and extends his matching Queen of Diamonds. "So... Partners?"

"Partners," Kurt says, smiling back, and he can feel the weight of Blaine's death stare from across the room. But he's not going to worry about it. Nothing inappropriate is happening. It's just the luck of the draw. "So, should we get together this weekend and practice? I'm supposed to see a movie with Blaine on Friday, maybe, but I'm free Saturday and Sunday."

"Sure, I don't have plans this weekend. How about we meet on Saturday and that way if we have trouble or need to practice more, we can work on Sunday, too," Dave suggests, still flicking his card nervously.

"Perfection. And I liked the song, by the way. You three sounded really good together."

"Oh. Thanks," Dave says, ducking his head shyly.

"Why don't you give me your number and I'll text you about Saturday?" Kurt asks. He makes a big show of entering Dave's number in his phone because he can still feel Blaine's eyes on him.

As if thinking his name has made him appear, Blaine is suddenly next to Kurt, holding his arm possessively. "Want to ride home together, baby?"

The question is ridiculous on two fronts, because first, Blaine had picked him up that morning and if they don't ride home together, Kurt will be forced to hitchhike, and second, since when does Blaine ever call him 'baby,' _especially_ in front of people?

"I'll call you," Kurt says to Dave, allowing Blaine to steer him out of the choir room. Once they're out the door, Kurt shakes Blaine's hand free. "I realize you're trying to mark your territory, but you don't need to urinate on me in front of everyone."

"I don't know what you're taking about," Blaine says mulishly.

"David knows you and I are dating. You don't need to grope me and call me inane pet names to drive the point home. He isn't Sebastian. He knows better than to make a move on someone's boyfriend. And even if it turns out he doesn't, I know enough to tell him to stop."

Kurt doesn't voice the 'unlike you' portion of the sentence, but he can tell by Blaine's pickle-sucking face that he hears it loud and clear regardless.

After that, Blaine makes a noticeable effort to calm himself, drawing up to his full height and heaving an over-dramatic sigh. "So are we still on for the movie tomorrow?" he asks, employing his favorite tactic of ending a fight by pretending it didn't happen.

"I suppose so," Kurt says, hoping Blaine's taken his words to heart. "I do want to see that new Amanda Seyfried rom-com. It's supposed to be a delight."

"Doesn't that also star Taylor Lautner?" Blaine asks with a little smirk.

"Perhaps," Kurt allows, and this time when Blaine takes his arm, it doesn't feel like a shackle. With a little sigh, Kurt walks with him out of the building, hoping this can be the last fight they need to have about Dave Karofsky.

~*~

Of course, nothing can be that easy. It's not a Dave issue that crops up, though. No surprise, it's a Sebastian issue.

Kurt and Blaine are in the theater chatting over the movie trivia, Kurt clutching a jumbo popcorn and oh-so ready to see Taylor Lautner make excuses to take his shirt off, when someone plops directly behind them and leans over the seats.

"Fancy meeting you here!" Sebastian says, positioning his pointy head literally right in between Kurt's and Blaine's faces. 

Kurt doesn't want to rise to the bait, but really. "Stalk much?"

"Who's stalking? I've heard good things about this movie. Blaine certainly seemed excited to see it. Hey Blaine."

"Hey," Blaine says, sinking down into his seat.

"You _told_ him we were going to see this movie?" Kurt hisses, trying to lean around Sebastian's head.

"He sure did!" Sebastian says smugly. "I thought maybe it was an 'anyone can join' kind of a thing."

"Of course it's not! It's a _date_. Something you'd know about if you stopped chasing other people's boyfriends and found your own," Kurt snaps.

"Ouch," Sebastian says mockingly, leaning back and pressing his hand to his chest. "Why Kurt, you've cut me to the quick with your razor wit."

"Shut up," Kurt tells him, leaning in to Blaine. "Say something to him, Blaine! Why did you tell him he could meet us here?"

"I didn't," Blaine protests.

"Well, why did you tell him our plans? You should have known he'd show up!"

"Why would I think he'd show up? He knew it was a date," Blaine says weakly, but he's curled down in his seat, half-hidden in his peacoat, and Kurt knows he's not going to deal with anything.

Kurt stands up and dumps his entire large tub of popcorn on Sebastian's head. "Enjoy the movie, boys," he says sweetly and walks out.

He ducks into the bathroom and locks himself in a stall in case Blaine should try to catch up with him. When he pulls out his phone, he sees his hands are shaking. Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, he texts Finn. _Can u come get me @ movies? Fight w blaine but he drove. Stranded. Help?_

He only has to wait a moment for the response, _Yeah brt._

Sighing in relief, Kurt sits down on the toilet to wait. It's going to take Finn at least ten minutes to arrive, and Kurt doesn't want to be out in the lobby any earlier than he needs to be lest he run into Blaine, or worse, Sebastian.

To kill time, Kurt scrolls through his phone and sees Dave's number. Without really putting much thought into it, he texts, _This is kurt. Just realized I never texted you so youd have my #. So here. :)_ and hits send.

Dave texts back quickly, _Thanks. Still on for tomorrow?_

Even though he knows at least part of the reason for doing it is that Blaine wouldn't like it, Kurt texts, _I can do it right now if you want. Change of plans._

Dave's response is, _Yeah ok. Where?_

Smiling triumphantly, Kurt texts his address to Dave, telling him he'll be home in twenty minutes. Then he heads outside just in time for Finn to pull up in Kurt's car.

"I didn't think you'd mind if I borrowed it since it was to get you," Finn explains. "I'm totally out of gas."

"No problem," Kurt says. "Thanks for getting me."

"Yeah, what happened? I didn't think you and Blaine ever fought."

"Sebastian," Kurt sneers, and without even intending to, he pours out the entire saga, up to and including Blaine's jealousy over Dave, who hasn't so much as put a toenail out of line with Kurt since he's been back.

Finn listens to the whole thing and when Kurt's done, he says, "Dude, that's B.S."

" _Thank you_!" Kurt says, flinging his hands up in the air.

"Are you going to break up with him?"

"Wait, what? You think it's worth breaking up over? Blaine hasn't done anything with Sebastian," Kurt explains, in case it wasn't clear.

"I was just asking. I mean, if a dude was all over Rachel and she kept taking his calls and encouraging him, I'd be pretty pissed at her, honestly. I mean, why doesn't he just let it go to voicemail when this dude calls him?"

It's a good question, and one Kurt doesn't have the answer for. Luckily he's saved from further introspection by Dave pulling into the driveway behind them.

"Why's Karofsky here?" Finn asks.

"Oh, he's my duet partner," Kurt says, getting out of the car and waving at Dave. "We're going to choose a song."

"Well, if you're going to be working, maybe I should go hang out at Rachel's," Finn says, still sitting behind the wheel.

"Are you trying to make it seem like you're doing me a favor while conniving to borrow my gassed-up and well-maintained vehicle to go see your girlfriend?" Kurt asks.

Finn grins sheepishly. "Maybe?"

"Fine, but you owe me," Kurt says, shutting the door and moving away to greet Dave. 

"Why does Finn owe you?" Dave asks.

"That's my car," Kurt explains, waving as Finn maneuvers out of the driveway. "He used it to pick me up and then somehow scammed his way into borrowing it." He shakes his head fondly. Finn has adjusted to having a brother rather quickly when it comes to ways that convenience him.

"Why was he picking you up? Weren't you out with Blaine?" Dave asks. "Wait, that's totally none of my business, sorry."

"No, it's fine," Kurt says, leading Dave into the house. He starts in on the Sebastian saga again, talking as they shed their shoes and coats by the door and go up to Kurt's room. By the time Dave's settled on Kurt's settee, the whole thing has been laid bare for the second time that day. Although, for safety's sake, Kurt leaves out any mention of Dave's small part in all of it.

"Was that venting or would you like my opinion?" Dave asks, face serious, once Kurt loses steam.

Kurt sighs. "Opinion, if you don't mind."

"I think you need to tell Blaine to kick Sebastian out of his life, and if he won't, well... _I_ wouldn't date him anymore if he won't. Your mileage may vary."

Kurt sits down heavily on the bed. "Well, that's more charitable than Finn's opinion."

"Which was?"

"That I should dump Blaine immediately."

Dave shakes his head. "Not everything is so black and white. I mean, yeah, Blaine probably should have put the brakes on this situation by now, but if you haven't ever been completely honest with him about how bad it makes you feel, you owe him a chance to make it right before you do anything drastic."

"Well, look at you being all mature and rational. You've grown up a lot, haven't you?"

"We're the same age," Dave says, rolling his eyes. "And anyway, I don't want to overstep here. Aren't we supposed to be picking out a song?"

"Yes," Kurt says, clapping his hands. "Anyway, good male/male duets are hard to come by. Blaine and I were talking about doing "Under Pressure" at one point, but I don't think that suits your voice at all. I could probably handle a female part, but..."

"Well, the assignment is traditional duets. We can't just take any song and make it a duet, remember? And I might not know as many songs as you, but aren't a lot of songs with a guy part and a girl part, like, love songs?" Dave asks, ducking his head and going a bit pink.

Kurt had sort of forgotten that part of the assignment, due to not really listening, but he doesn't want to admit to it. "Right. Well, do you remember how many other all-male pairs there were?"

"Um, Mike got Rory, and Rachel was trying to get them to do some duet about Moses? I didn't hear the whole thing."

"Oh, 'Moses Supposes,'" Kurt supplies. "It's from Singing In the Rain. Good song, but Better for Mike and Rory, I think."

"I've always liked the Johnny Cash and Joe Strummer version of 'Redemption Song' a lot," Dave offers. "But I don't think that would count as traditional."

"Well, I'm not sure I can pull off Johnny Cash, regardless," Kurt says, trying to imagine how that would go. He really pictures them doing something more traditional, what with his range and Dave's silky voice.

"' Nuthin' But A G Thing?'" Dave suggests with a grin.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that," Kurt says, reaching for his laptop. They do some Googling, batting around a few half-hearted suggestions, until Kurt sees something that makes his heart skip a beat.

"That's perfect," he breathes, until he remembers that, hello, really definitely a love song.

"What?"

"Never mind. It's a love song."

"For two guys?" Dave asks, looking a little confused, but also intrigued.

Kurt figures that with Dave being newly out, it's probably worth educating him, even though the song would be totally inappropriate for them to do in front of the glee club. "It's from _Rent_. Have you seen it?"

Dave shakes his head, so Kurt gives a little plot synopsis while he searches YouTube for the original Broadway cast version. "Here," he says, turning up the volume. "It's called 'I'll Cover You.'" He presses play, and Angel's voice fills the room.

Kurt watches as Dave listens, and he can tell that there's something working in his mind. When the song ends, Dave swallows hard and says, "Wow, that's... That's a really great song."

"Yes, I've always loved that song. And I know your voice isn't as deep as Jesse L. Martin's, but I think you could nail Collins's part."

"Me too. Too bad we can't use it."

Kurt closes the YouTube window without realizing he's got Facebook open behind it. Blaine's picture immediately catches his eye, and he reads, _Blaine Anderson was tagged at Lima Cinema 12 with Sebastian Smythe._

Kurt reads it several times, struggling to find the error there. But there's no mistake. Sebastian has tagged himself and Blaine in at the movie theater, so every one of their friends will think they're on a date. He tries to remember if Blaine's car had been gone from the parking lot when he'd left with Finn, but he honestly hadn't thought to take note. Is this more of Sebastian's shenanigans or did Blaine actually stay and watch the movie with Sebastian?

"Kurt, are you okay?" Dave asks.

Kurt slams the laptop shut. "Let's do the song."

"Dude, I don't know... Don't you think Blaine will be upset if we do a song like that?"

"It's just acting, right? Just an assignment. Most duets _are_ love songs, after all, and Mr. Schue wants tradition."

Dave shrugs, looking sort of uncomfortable. "I guess we could try it."

Kurt opens his laptop again and locates the lyrics, sending two copies to the printer. He finds an instrumental version of the song on YouTube easily enough, and before he can think better of it, he's standing in the middle of his room singing, "Live in my house,  
I'll be your shelter," to a nervous-looking Dave Karofsky, which is really sort of surreal.

Dave does his part earnestly, though, and when it's time to sing together, their voices blend beautifully, even on the first run-through, looking at each other and singing about a new lease on life.

They stumble a few times, but when they finish, they grin at each other. "We can _totally_ make this amazing," Dave says, sounding kind of freaked out by the idea of it.

And all Kurt can think is that Blaine's head is going to explode. He feels a little twinge of guilt, but then he pictures Sebastian yawn-and-stretching his arm around Blaine in a dark theater and his conscience clears immediately.

~*~

Kurt doesn't speak to Blaine all Friday evening or all day Saturday, even though Blaine tries calling twice. Unlike some boyfriends, Kurt is able to let his phone go to voicemail.

He and Dave agree to rehearse separately on Saturday and meet up on Sunday to practice again, hopefully with a handle on the song.

When Dave arrives on Sunday, though, they end up on the living room couch with Kurt's DVD of _Rent_. Kurt tells Dave that understanding the story will help his performance, but in reality, singing the song a hundred times has made Kurt desperately need a re-watch.

He'd forgotten how _affecting_ the movie is, though, and by Angel's funeral scene, he's practically sobbing. He looks over, and Dave's wiping away tears, too. They smile self-consciously at each other. "Sorry, I should have warned you this was a tearjerker," Kurt says, pausing and going for a box of tissues.

"No problem. It's really good," Dave says, scrubbing under both eyes. "You know, it's funny but I was thinking about the lines in the song about being the king and queen and it made me think of prom. I'm... I'm sorry I ran away. I should have danced with you. Even if I played it off as a goof later. I wish I would have."

Kurt looks away. He's not sure he wants to go down this road with Dave. Ignoring their baggage has worked pretty well so far. "Yes, well... Everything in its own time," Kurt says inanely, starting the movie back up.

When it's over, they go back to Kurt's room to practice. Things are going well until they decide to take a break. Kurt runs downstairs to get some bottled water, and when he gets back, Dave is standing right where Kurt left him, looking rather dejected.

"You can sit down," Kurt says, feeling suddenly awkward.

Dave accepts a proffered bottle of water and sits gingerly on the edge of the bed. "Sorry, I just... I keep thinking about stuff. Like, from the past. _Our_ past."

"I do too, sometimes, but I really want to just… move beyond it," he offers, honestly preferring to sweep the conversation under the rug rather than drag it out into the harsh daylight. He's got enough drama on his plate right now and he'd rather just forge ahead with this new, out Dave – a person he can understand.

"Yeah, I want to do that too, but... It's not always easy."

Kurt nods, but he's not sure what to say. He finally settles on, "I know."

They sip their water in silence for a minute before Kurt says, "I think we have the song down cold. Let's try to rehearse the rest of the number."

"You don't want to dance, do you?" Dave asks, looking a little worried.

"I seem to remember from 'Thriller' that you're not a bad dancer at all. But I wasn't thinking of dancing specifically. More the theatricality of it. This is a song about two people confessing their love for each other. We should probably do more with it than just stand on the stage."

Dave nods. "What did you have in mind?"

Kurt shrugs, as he hasn't really thought it through. "Well, in the movie, they sort of dance together a little. But it's very informal," he hastens to add at Dave's look. "We could try an improv session and see how it goes."

"Sure," Dave says, getting up off the bed. "Hey, are you going to wear a skirt for this?" he asks with a smirk.

Kurt scowls. "McKinley is a reasonably safe space right now, but I'm pretty sure I'm not going to go to school in drag."

Dave seems to accept this and Kurt starts the music. This time, they start singing more toward each other, and when he starts his verse, Dave reaches out and grabs Kurt's hand. During the brief musical break, he pulls Kurt closer with a firm hand at the small of Kurt's back and spins him a little.

Kurt can't help smiling up at him and he feels a little guilty at how good it feels to be handled like this by someone larger than he is. He feels... _protected_. Like Dave really would be his shelter.

He blames that treacherous line of thinking on the fact that they keep getting closer together until the last notes fade away and Kurt suddenly realizes that they're very much in each others' personal space.

Kurt holds his breath, not moving, and Dave starts to lean in. Kurt immediately panics and struggles away.

"God, Kurt, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean... It was just the song, I got caught up and... Sorry."

"No, it's fine, I just..."

"No, it's not fine," Dave snaps. "I mean, I know the last thing you want to be reminded of is me kissing you, and... god, I'm an idiot." Without a backward glance, Dave hustles out of the room and down the stairs.

"David, wait," Kurt cries, finally shaking away the déjà vu and following him, but Dave's already in his car by the time Kurt hits the porch. He stands there helplessly as Dave drives away.

Kurt goes back inside and paces for a few minutes before he grabs his phone. Ignoring the missed calls from Blaine, he texts Dave, _Thats not why I got upset. I have a boyfriend. I would be such a hypocrite to be angry at blaine for what hes been doing w sebastian and then let u kiss me. Even a stage kiss. Please understand._

He doesn't get a response for over twenty minutes and when he does, it just says, _I understand._

Not wanting to push too hard, he replies, _Good. See u at school tomorrow._

It's frustrating because there's a lot more he wants to say, but it's just not the right time. And it's a little scary, because maybe they'd just been channeling the characters, but it had felt _really_ good to let Dave hold him and twirl him around. And time does heal all wounds, but he can't help but wonder if he's a little too willing to brush aside everything Dave had done the first time around at McKinley.

Both of which make him wonder if he's _already_ the very hypocrite he doesn't want to be.

~*~

When Monday morning comes, Kurt drags himself to school, dreading seeing Blaine. Kurt's ignored him all weekend, and now he's afraid that was a mistake, because it's possible the tables have turned and Blaine is angry with him now.

However, when he spots Blaine, Blaine hurries over and touches Kurt's arm tentatively. "Kurt, please don't be angry. I didn't stay at the movies with him. I came after you and when I couldn't find you, I went straight home."

"Why did Sebastian say online that you stayed, then?"

"I'm sure it was just a dig at you. He was angry about the popcorn," Blaine says with a note of censure, as if Kurt had somehow been out of line.

"He'd have to have balls bigger than his football-shaped head to be angry at me for that. There wasn't even any butter on it. I'm sure it didn't harm his clothing."

"It was humiliating," Blaine protests, continuing to defend his precious Sebastian. Kurt's hackles go up and he wonders why he was ever concerned about Blaine's feelings in all of this. "And Kurt, you know he's jealous of our relationship. You should be more sensitive to that."

Kurt wants to screech at the top of his lungs at that, because really, why should he be sensitive to Sebastian's tender baby feelings when Blaine practically bursts an artery whenever Dave Karofsky dares to look at Kurt. And Dave doesn't even _like_ Kurt like that. As far as Kurt knows, anyway.

But as soon as Dave's name pops into Kurt's head, he wants desperately to say, 'You know, Dave Karofsky and I almost kissed this weekend when we were rehearsing and things got a little sexy,' just to be cruel, but the bell's about to ring and Blaine is already being obtuse enough. It's probably easier to just walk away without dumping any fuel on the flame.

"I have to go to class. Can we talk about this later?"

"Fine," Blaine says, a little bit pissy. He doesn't offer to walk Kurt to class, either.

Kurt doesn't mind because moments after Blaine whirls off in the opposite direction, Kurt spots Dave at his locker and hurries over. "Hey, is everything good with us?" he says quickly, before Dave can flee.

"Oh, um. Yeah. Hey, Kurt. And sure, it's fine."

Kurt smiles indulgently at Dave's nervous stammering. "It is fine, David. Really. And I meant what I said. The only reason I was bothered was because of Blaine. And I shouldn't have even been worried about that because we were acting, right? I mean, Blaine kissed Rachel a bunch of times in _West Side Story_ and it didn't mean anything. I certainly didn't get jealous."

"Well, Rachel's a girl," Dave points out, closing his locker. 

"You really need to brush up on your Blaine and Rachel history," Kurt mutters. "But regardless, it was acting. I was Angel and you were Tom Collins and we were performing. It's not like _you_ wanted to kiss _me_ , right?" 

"Right. I mean, no, totally not. It was just acting, like you said," Dave says, looking away.

Kurt stops short at the door to his homeroom, realizing that Dave has just walked him to class. "Well, this is me."

"Okay, well, I'll see you later. Maybe we can do some more rehearsing. After... Well, I kind of ran out on our practice. I'd definitely be down to block some dance moves if you want."

"Of course," Kurt says. Standing there, facing each other outside a classroom, is giving Kurt such strong flashbacks of Dave doffing his hat, his face crumpling, saying, 'I'm so freakin' sorry, Kurt.' It hurts like a blow to the gut and he reaches out his hand. "About what happened, between us, I mean. Last year? I do forgive you for all of it. I don't want you to think I'm still hung up on it. I forgive you, David."

Dave bites his lip and nods once, hard. "Okay. I... I gotta go."

He turns on his heel and hurries away, and Kurt almost wants to rush after him since he sort of looked like he might cry, but the second bell is about to ring, so Kurt just goes into the classroom and sinks into his seat. For some reason, he keeps thinking about the way Dave had said he 'totally didn't' want to kiss Kurt. That shouldn't bother Kurt, since he's got a _boyfriend_ and all and if Dave _wanted_ to kiss him, Kurt would just be in the same boat Blaine is.

The last thing their relationship needs is more external pressure. As it is, Kurt needs to issue an ultimatum to Blaine and he's not sure how that's going to go over.

~*~

Even though it makes him sick to his stomach just to think about confronting Blaine so harshly, Kurt decides to do it as soon as possible, ripping the bandage off. 

When they're finished eating their lunches, Kurt pulls Blaine aside. "May I speak to you a moment?" Blaine's face makes it clear that he's still kind of mad, but he goes with Kurt into the hall and stands there expectantly, waiting for Kurt to start. 

Kurt takes a breath. "We need to do something about this Sebastian situation," he says, holding up his hand to silence Blaine's protests. "I know you say it's nothing, but it's wearing on me. It's _hurting_ me. And maybe this is my fault for not saying anything sooner, but whenever you say that it's no big deal or that Sebastian is harmless, I want to scream because it's a big deal to _me_. And it's doing harm to _me_. Maybe this is unfair, but I want you to stop letting him in. Stop answering his calls, stop texting him, stop being Facebook friends, even. You act like you don't really like him sniffing around anyway, so it doesn't seem like this is too much to ask."

When Kurt finally falls silent, Blaine puts a hand on Kurt's cheek, smiling sadly. "I'm so sorry. I didn't realize how much stress it was putting on you. I just thought it wasn't a big deal because I knew I'd never fall for his games, but I shouldn't put you in the position where anyone can try to play games in the first place. We deserve better than that as a couple."

"Oh, thank you. I'm so glad you understand," Kurt says, feeling light with relief. He darts a quick glance around the hall, and seeing no one watching them, leans in to kiss Blaine softly on the lips. "So… How's your duet coming?" he asks, tucking his arm through Blaine's.

Blaine smiles widely. "Wonderfully. Britt and I were a bit stymied by the 'traditional' aspect at first, but we're doing a really funny interpretation of 'The Rain In Spain,' and everyone should get a kick out of it."

"That sounds delightful, and perfect for you and Brittany. I can definitely see you as Henry Higgins."

"Thanks, Kurt. What are you and… Dave doing?"

He manages not to sneer the name but it's a close thing, Kurt can tell. And he suddenly realizes that it was perhaps a miscalculation to bring up the duets at all. "Um… We're doing 'I'll Cover You' from _Rent_."

Blaine stops short. "You're going to sing _that_ with Dave Karofsky on stage in front of the whole Glee Club? It's… It's a love song!"

"You sang 'One Hand, One Heart' with Rachel Berry in front of the whole _school_ ," Kurt points out, trying to keep calm.

"But Rachel's a _girl_! And Karofsky _kissed_ you!"

" _You_ kissed Rachel! _Willingly_ , I might add! And I don't mean in the play!"

"I was drunk! And… _confused_!"

"David was confused, too! Closeted and scared, and I… I was just _there_. He hasn't been carrying a torch all this time or anything."

"How do you know?" Blaine snaps.

"Because I _asked_ him! Because unlike you, I take our relationship seriously and I don't want anyone hanging around who wants to ruin it," Kurt says, low and deadly, hearing Dave's words, 'No, totally not,' echoing in his head.

"You think I _want_ our relationship to be ruined?" Blaine asks incredulously.

"No, but I think it's pretty sad that I had to ask you to stop letting a loose creature like Sebastian hit on you. You should have put a stop to that yourself!"

"Why are you so obsessed with Sebastian?"

"Why are _you_ so obsessed with Dave?" Kurt shoots back. 

They both stand there for a few beats, faced off and breathing heavily before Blaine says, "I don't think this is working."

"Are you breaking up with me?" Kurt demands, more incensed than anything else.

"No, I… Maybe. I just… I think we need a break," Blaine finishes weakly. "We never used to fight and now it's just constant. This isn't fun anymore, Kurt."

Kurt can't even come up with a good response. "Fine," he says, finally. "I guess I'll see you around."

He turns and walks off, in the wrong direction for his next class. Even though Blaine had said it wasn't, it sort of feels like a breakup and Kurt finds himself going from angry to heartbroken in a matter of seconds. He stumbles blindly into the boys' room and leans on the sink, tears running off the end of his nose and dripping onto the shiny white surface.

When he has himself together, he washes his face and heads to class. He's totally late and he doesn't have a pass, but he's got nowhere else to go.

~*~

Kurt had been planning to ask Dave to meet him for a rehearsal in the auditorium after school, but the last thing he feels like doing is singing a love song. He'd remembered at some point in the afternoon that he'd gotten a ride to school from Blaine, so he's texted Finn to beg a ride. Finn had been planning to ride with Sam, so Kurt finds himself sitting in the backseat of Sam's car after school, snuffling like a freak and pouring his heart out to two straight boys.

"And then he just said that it _wasn't fun anymore_ ," Kurt laments. "Who says that? I mean, relationships are supposed to have ups and downs, right? It's not all fun and games!"

"You should be glad, Kurt. That Sebastian situation was bad news," Finn says, rather unhelpfully.

"Do you want to get Dairy Queen on the way?" Sam asks. "Ice cream totally helps breakups, right?"

So Kurt finds himself dropped at home with a Peanut Buster Parfait and no peace of mind at all.

He considers calling either Rachel or Mercedes, but rejects both ideas out of extreme ennui. He goes upstairs and sits on the bed. Once he's devoured his parfait, he flops backward and pulls a pillow over his eyes, hoping to sleep until next week.

Sleep won't come, though, and eventually he slinks out of bed, sheds his school clothes, and sits down at his desk in his underwear hoping to find some kind of mindless distraction on Netflix. However, he decides to go ahead and check Facebook first, just out of habit, and immediately realizes that Blaine has changed his status back to 'Single.' 

He knows now why it felt like a breakup even though Blaine had just referred to it as 'a break.' It's because it _is_ a breakup and Blaine is full of crap.

All he can think about is how smug Sebastian must be feeling right now. He can see that pointy rat face all aglow with triumph and it makes him want to punch things.

There's nothing in his room that's satisfying to punch, though, so he settles for flopping on the bed in his underpants and kicking and screaming into a pillow until he tires himself out, which actually makes him feel somewhat better.

Then there's nothing left to do but get up, change his own status back to single, and resume his quest for something to watch. He's halfway through an episode of _The Vampire Diaries_ when his phone buzzes. Seeing that it's Dave, Kurt picks up, figuring he's just planning to ask something about their duet. 

Instead, Dave says, "Hey, I saw your Facebook. I… I was going to your page to add you as a friend. I wasn't, like, stalking you or something. But I saw it said 'single,' and I… Maybe I'm totally out of line, but I thought maybe you'd want to talk? If this is weird, you can just tell me to butt out or whatever."

Kurt heaves a hiccoughy sigh. It is sort of weird and stalkerish, but it's nice that someone cares, beyond buying him DQ. "No, it's okay. And you can add me as a friend, by the way."

"Okay, I will. So… Was it the Sebastian thing?"

"Yes. And no. It was just… I think it was just that there was something of a double-standard at work. Blaine brushed it aside when I was offended by Sebastian's actions, but he wanted to hold me accountable whenever anyone so much as looked at me. But everything was kind of like that with Blaine. Everything he ever did was so justifiable and he was allowed every excuse in the book, but if I did something even a fraction as bad, I was a horrible person."

Dave murmurs agreement, but doesn't push, so Kurt continues, working up a head of steam. "Let me give you an example. Before we got together, Blaine kissed Rachel, due to the combined affects of alcohol and sham bicuriosity. But after it happened, I was supposed to forget about it – which I did – and I didn't make a peep when he performed opposite her in _West Side Story_ , which _included_ him kissing her and singing several romantic songs. However, when I told him that you and I were doing 'I'll Cover You' for our duet, he nearly had an aneurism because he knows you kissed me a million years ago and he thinks that means you're madly in love with me and want to steal me away, and that me singing with you would be a complete betrayal. His situation is far worse. He _wanted_ to kiss Rachel, no offense, and he even took her out on a date! In Blaine's world, I ought to be worried that Rachel is still trying to get with him, even though everyone involved has clearly moved on. It's just… It's all about Blaine, all the time. I should have known that's how dating him would be after the way the Warblers treated him – and the way he just _accepted_ their treatment. They gave him every solo and worshiped the ground he walked on, and instead of being grateful, he acted like it was just his due. I… I should have seen this coming, I guess."

After Kurt's rant peters out, he realizes Dave isn't saying anything. "David? Are you still there?"

"Kurt, I'm so sorry," Dave says, sounding kind of wrecked.

"I'm sure I'll survive. Lesser men than me have endured break-ups."

"Well… Good," Dave says with a little cough. "I… I guess I'll see you tomorrow for the duet, right?"

"Right," Kurt says, feeling strangely upset that Dave's ending the conversation so abruptly. "Thanks for checking on me. And for listening to me vent."

"Anytime. See you, Kurt."

It's not until after they hang up and Kurt goes back to his show that he realizes that maybe Dave hadn't meant he was sorry for the breakup. He remembers his words about not wanting to kiss Dave and wonders if perhaps that had been insensitive. He's forgiven Dave and has told him so, but they haven't ever actually _talked_ about it, and especially after the way Dave freaked out when things got a little sexy during their rehearsal, maybe they need to.

It's not like they have anything to be ashamed of. They'd just been rehearsing. They're two boys who are attracted to boys, and they'd been holding each other and dancing and singing about love and kissing. That's going to lead to a little bit of tension unless the people involved have absolutely no chemistry.

Frustrated, Kurt shuts his laptop and throws himself back on the bed. It's not even dinner time, but he falls asleep.

And immediately into a dream.

When he wakes sometime later, he's hard as a rock and muzzy images are still floating in his head. Images of Dave Karofsky.

Pondering their chemistry must have caused his brain to decide to prove it to Kurt by bombarding him with visuals. Kurt presses himself hard, trying to ease the pressure, but all it does is send showers of sparks up and down his spine. He can still see the way dream-Dave had been holding him. They'd been lying on a bed and dream-Dave had been on top of him, Kurt's legs spread wantonly, leaving room for dream-Dave to lie between them, pressing his crotch against Kurt's over and over as they kissed, bodies sliding together with each press and release of their mouths.

It had felt so _real_ that Kurt's a little shaken. He feels like his hip sockets should be sore from the way his legs had been splayed and the way he'd pressed his heels so hard into dream-Dave's backside, spurring him on.

"Shit," Kurt mutters, sitting up. It's almost six o'clock, and he's probably going to be called for dinner soon. He doesn't necessarily _want_ to jerk off because he's still in a bad mood, but he's pretty sure that it's a necessity at this point.

He pads over to the door and locks it, returning to the bed. He strokes himself slowly, trying to think erotic thoughts. However, all of his sexual experiences up to this point involve Blaine and he _does not_ want to think about Blaine. Since he's not a big fan of pornography, the only images he has to replace Blaine with are those from his dream. Before he can stop his brain, he's thinking about Dave humping him into the mattress, their hips working in a fast point-counterpoint, one of Dave's big hands around his bicep, holding him lightly but inexorably.

He comes hard, then, surprising himself at the speed. He must have been _really_ worked up from the dream.

As he wipes himself off, he curses his brain because really, how awkward will it be to face Dave tomorrow, to sing a love song with him, after imagining all of that?

~*~

Kurt tries to put 'the dream incident' from his mind, but it's easier said than done. Fortunately – or perhaps not – his friends all assume he's acting strangely because of Blaine. And sure. That's part of it. He's only seen Blaine once so far today, but it was at a distance and his heart only collapsed in on itself for a minute or so and then he could breathe again. It's not like it was a full-on black hole or anything.

He's not looking forward to Glee Club, though, as he's guaranteed to have to see Blaine and watch him perform. Watching Blaine on stage always reminds Kurt of the first time they met, and the way Kurt was so taken with him. Although he tries to remind himself that Blaine fronting the Warblers is analogous to their issues in the first place, and being reminded of his former lead-singing career as a member of Blaine and the Pips is probably a good thing, since he can extrapolate it into the issues that caused their breakup. Or something.

Perhaps he's reaching. But he's just been dumped and needs must.

And since they're performing today, the club meets in the auditorium and Kurt is able to sit a few rows ahead of Blaine so he doesn't have to look at him at all. He wants to sit with Dave just because they're partners and it would be reassuring before they go on stage, but Dave shows up late and sits toward the back, leaving Kurt down in front with Finn and Rachel.

Most of the performances prove to be pretty good. Kurt hangs back, not volunteering to go, since he wants to let Blaine go first. He's not sure he'll be able to give it his all if he's still fretting about having to watch Blaine. They sit through Rachel and Sam doing a lovely, if rather sterile, rendition of "Something Good" from _The Sound of Music_ , Mike and Rory doing the aforementioned "Moses Supposes," and a surprisingly well-crafted rendition of "One Boy" from _Bye Bye Birdie_ , performed by Quinn and Santana, who re-worked the song to cut out the male verses and just included the Kim and Rosie parts.

Kurt's enthusiastic clapping for Santana's and Quinn's creativity is interrupted by Blaine and Brittany taking to the stage for their duet. Their interpretation of "The Rain In Spain" is definitely cute, and Brittany performs the part of an uneducated flower-seller quite well. Blaine, naturally, is perfection as the pompous Henry Higgins, and Kurt scowls through the whole performance while Rachel squeezes his hand reassuringly.

It's so unsettling that he barely notices Puck and Mercedes doing "Ease On Down the Road" as Dorothy and the Scarecrow. Things had been bad enough last night when he'd just been home alone, but actually having to interact with Blaine is… 

"Sorry, this probably sucks," someone says from behind him, startling both Kurt and Rachel. Dave's moved to the row behind Kurt and is sitting there looking all sympathetic and Kurt's stomach contracts a little. "Having to see him in school and stuff, I mean."

"It does. Royally," Kurt agrees, and Rachel squeezes his hand harder.

"Kurt, why don't you and Dave go next?" Rachel suggests, looking at Dave with a hopeful expression. "It will be a good distraction, I'm sure."

"Good idea. I'll tell Mr. Schue," Dave says, standing up as Puck and Mercedes are taking their bows. Kurt claps for them, but has to stop abruptly when Rachel grabs his arm.

"Make sure you really perform up there, Kurt."

"What do you mean?"

"I know you're not going to wear a wig or anything, but you can still be adorable. You do it so well. Show Blaine what he's missing," she hisses, vengeance in her eyes.

Privately, Kurt doubts Blaine is missing much of anything, and is probably already engaged in a torrid rebound affair with the ferret, but instead he nods like what she's saying makes perfect sense.

Mr. Schue announces them then, and Kurt follows Dave up to the stage. He can see Blaine in the audience, a snotty look on his face, and it gives him the push he needs to grab Dave's hand. Cute. He can do that.

The music starts and Kurt sings his heart out, beaming up at Dave with all the love Angel had in her heart. Dave grins and twirls Kurt easily, holding him close and spinning him like a ballroom dancer.

When they finish the last refrain, Dave dips Kurt – not an easy task now that Kurt isn't that short anymore – and then pulls him back up, pressing their cheeks together in what probably looks something like a kiss to Blaine's side of the auditorium, which is probably why Dave did it. He's a good friend in addition to being a surprisingly good dancer. And a good singer, too.

And just generally someone Kurt's really come to like.

That must be why Kurt keeps Dave's hand in his while they walk down from the stage. It has to be the reason because he forgets to even look at Blaine to gauge his reaction.

Everyone's clapping for them, and when Kurt sinks back into his seat next to Rachel, she squeals and grabs his arm again. "That was _perfect_! You two looked adorable!"

"Thanks," Dave says shyly, still in his new seat behind Kurt.

"Yes, thank you," Kurt says, finally remembering to look over at Blaine. He's sitting with Brittany and Santana, and he's pointedly turned away from Kurt, so Kurt can't even tell how he reacted to the performance.

"Blaine looked pretty upset," Finn puts in.

"He did?" Kurt asks.

"You didn't notice?" Dave asks, sounding kind of surprised. "Yeah, he looked like he wanted to try to punch me."

Kurt feels a little satisfaction at Dave's assertion that all Blaine could do is 'try' to punch him. "No, I was so busy with the song that I didn't even think to look over at him."

Rachel and Finn exchange a look that's so heavy with… _something_ that Kurt wants to kick both of them, even though he's not sure what they're trying to say to each other. He's saved from having to ask by Santana plopping herself on the arm of his seat. 

"If you were trying to make Eyebrows jealous, you totally pulled it off. Major bitch points."

"What?"

"You and the former King of Narnia here," she says, jerking her thumb at an embarrassed-looking Dave. "I thought that was your plan. I heard Sebastian finally took your man, and I'd say 'my sympathies,' but A, it was inevitable. Sebastian is _just_ this side of rapisty, and he was only going to take no for an answer for so long, and B, you're better off because now you can find a man with pants that go past his ankle bones. Seriously, I know it's 2012 and all, but the next great flood isn't supposed to come until, like, December."

Kurt can't quite tell if she's being mean or being nice, but that's par for the course with Santana. "So…?"

"So the duet? Mama like. You two have some serious chemistry, and the way your ex was squirming, he was either jealous as hell or he was in the middle of laying a giant golden egg full of hair gel. Your guess is as good as mine. But I just wanted to give you props because if the best revenge is living well, the second best is hooking up with an extra-large helping of man candy. Brava, ladies."

With that, she gets up and walks up the aisle, back to where Brittany is sitting. Kurt chances a look at Dave, who looks as thoroughly humiliated as Kurt does. Rachel and Finn are both smirking annoyingly, so Kurt ignores everyone and sits back in his seat, pretending he's paying attention to Artie and Tina.

Santana's observation has left him strangely guilty. He's not someone like Sebastian who schemes and weasels until people give in, but he remembers what had made him decide to do the song in the first place. He'd known, in his brain anyway, that Blaine hadn't really been at the movies with Sebastian, but he'd seen Sebastian's dig on Facebook and he'd told Dave he wanted to do the song, knowing it would make Blaine jealous. Does that make him as bad as Sebastian?

Exasperated with himself, he shakes his head, clearing away the negative thoughts. He's nothing like Sebastian and he certainly hadn't been using Dave for some kind of revenge.

He wouldn't do that, and not just because he's not a weasel. Honestly, he sort of likes Dave. He's not sure what that means, though. He's not sure about what form the 'like' is taking. Is he being unduly influenced by his sex dream? Because dreams don't have to mean anything. Kurt once had a sex dream about Mr. Schue and the less said about that, the better. 

It has more to do with Dave's smile and his strong arms and his perfectly-groomed eyebrows, and the fact that he can hold Kurt and twirl him around a stage like Prince Charming.

He'd be perfect for an inappropriate rebound fling, honestly, now that Kurt thinks on it. However, he still can't get past the way Dave had said that he 'totally' hadn't wanted to kiss Kurt and that he'd just been acting.

It's stupid and he could easily have been lying, but somehow, Kurt can't bring himself to explore it. He's sad and lonely and _betrayed_ and the last thing he needs right now is another disappointment in his life.

What he really needs, more than any more confusion, is a friend that he can count on, so he figures it's probably best to steer clear of flirty duets and dirty thoughts. He already knows Dave doesn't feel that way about him, so it should be the easiest thing in the world for Kurt to avoid.

~*~

The problem with that, though, is that Dave is actually sort of amazing. He laughs at Kurt's jokes and always seems to be around in the hall when Kurt's lonely. And for some strange reason, people keep telling Kurt that Dave likes him.

Kurt's pretty sure they're just taking pity on him because Blaine and Sebastian have started dating openly. Encouraging him to rebound with the only other gay guy any of them know, and all that. Luckily, Sebastian hasn't found a way to transfer to McKinley yet, so Kurt doesn't have to see him very often, but he does find a way to nose around every once in a while. And every time Kurt sees his big arms and his perfect teeth, he wants to throw things.

Blaine's tried to talk to him a couple of times, but Kurt isn't really interested in being friends. Especially with someone who would willingly date Sebastian Smythe. 

Kurt knows it's only a matter of time before someone presses the issue, though, and he isn't wrong. A few weeks after Blaine and Sebastian become "official," Kurt's hanging out with Rachel in his bedroom, scrolling through his iTunes and arguing about the Donny Osmond version of _Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat_ , when someone knocks on the door. It's Finn and, surprisingly, Dave, bearing sodas.

"I brought you a root beer. Diet," Finn says, nervously awaiting Rachel's approval. She beams at his correct choice and bounces off the bed to accept his offering with a kiss. 

Dave shifts a little, awkwardly proffering a Diet Coke. "Finn invited me over to watch the Ohio State game. We were getting a snack and he said we should bring you guys something to drink. I didn't even know you were here or I would have texted or something."

"You don't have to report to me or anything," Kurt says, wondering exactly what Dave means. Surely he can't still think Kurt wants to maintain distance or anything.

"Do you want to come down and watch with us?" Finn asks, looking hopefully at Rachel. 

"Thank you for the invitation, but we're not really interested in football," Rachel answers for them. "Maybe when it's over?"

She lets the suggestion dangle and Finn nods quickly. "Sure. We'll be back," he promises, heading back out with Dave trailing behind him, throwing Kurt a small smile as he closes the door.

Once their footsteps fade, Rachel pounces on Kurt. "Okay, I've been trying to give you space to move on, but I don't understand why you're not accepting what Dave is clearly offering you!"

Kurt sighs. "Why does everyone think David Karofsky is in love with me? What happened before happened because I was the only out guy he knew. It was never about me," he reminds her – a common refrain by this point.

By now, he's filled his girlfriends in on his and Dave's checkered past, but they continually try to make it into something it clearly wasn't. Case in point, Rachel begins beating a familiar dead horse. "How are you so sure? You said yourself that you never really discussed it. You agreed to move on from it, but you never spoke about it! Your perceptions could be way off. Maybe he was in love with you then, maybe he wasn't, but he obviously is now."

"You infer that from him bringing me a soda? He only did it because Finn was bringing you one. And for that matter, if Dave hadn't been here, I'm sure Finn would have brought one for me as well. He was just… helping with the carrying."

Rachel sniffs. "Finn would have brought you a root beer, too. I'm sure it was Dave who remembered you like Coke."

"You read minds now, too? Rachel Berry's list of talents just continues to grow."

"Oh stop. You're the only one who refuses to see it. Ever since you broke up with Blaine, he looks at you with this _longing_ , like he'd been forcing himself to stay away from you before, because it was the right thing to do, but now that there's nothing to stop him, well… We all talk about it."

"Good to know my so-called friends are all gossiping about me behind my back," Kurt says, genuinely a little hurt at having his suspicions confirmed.

"Don't try to change the subject. We're not gossiping. Everyone's rooting for you! Don't get me wrong, I fully understand the appeal of Blaine." Kurt snorts at that, but Rachel ignores him, pressing on, "However, he wasn't right for you. You're a star, Kurt. Like me. You need someone who will let you shine! Why do you think he was so jealous of Dave, but so accepting of Sebastian? He thought it was perfectly fine for someone to adore _him_ , because he thought he deserved it. But he didn't think you deserved to have adoration as well! Not to say Blaine isn't a star, but he wants to be _the_ star. And that isn't fair in a relationship."

Kurt looks away, trying to pretend her words aren't ringing so true that his eyes sting a little. "Are you trying to tell me that you don't want to be _the_ star in your relationship with Finn?" he asks, deflecting a little.

"Kurt, think about it. If you were dating Dave and someone else had a crush on you, how would he react?"

"How would I know?"

Rachel throws her hands in the air. "I don't know if you're being deliberately stubborn or if you're seriously blind. Maybe you're not ready to move forward yet. That's fine. I'm sure Dave will still be waiting."

With that, she rolls off the bed, snatches up her purse and sweeps dramatically from his room. 

"Talk about needing to be a star," Kurt says wryly into the empty room. He tries to think about what she'd asked, but the honest truth is that he really knows very little about Dave Karofsky as a potential boyfriend. He's been learning more over the last few weeks, since they've been Facebook friends and have been sitting together in Glee Club, but it's mostly superficial things. They've stuck to their pact to not speak of their past, and that's sort of translated into not speaking of anything too personal at all.

Which is good, Kurt decides. He hasn't even been single for a month. There's no need to add any pressure to his situation. Thinking about Blaine and Sebastian still makes his blood boil, so he's obviously not over the breakup. Keeping things neutral with Dave is smart, and Kurt's all about making smart choices. Their friends can speculate about Dave's feelings all they want, but Kurt doesn't have to sink to their level.

 

~*~

 

Another couple of weeks of careful, neutral friendship pass uneventfully, until one Monday morning when Dave rushes up to Kurt at his locker, waving a piece of paper excitedly. "Hey, check this out!" Dave says, shoving the paper at Kurt. "I was at Scandals this weekend and I saw this on the bulletin board! They're having a talent show! It's to raise money for Lima's anti-bullying charity, so I really want to be in it." He takes a deep breath and says in a rush, "I thought maybe we could sing 'I'll Cover You' again for it? I mean, if you want to. I'd totally understand if you didn't, but –"

"David, stop!" Kurt says, grabbing his arm. "You had me at talent show." 

Dave's grin practically illuminates the hallway. Kurt can't help beaming back. It's an inspired idea, really. Kurt's still not over how well their performance went, and he's been considering what a shame it is that no one outside the glee club has seen it. As good as they were, he knows Mr. Schue isn't going to suggest it for Regionals. And truthfully, it's probably too controversial a number for a Glee competition, but for a talent show at a gay bar, it's downright tame. Add in raising money for a cause that's extremely meaningful to both of them, and it's a slam dunk. He says as much to Dave, who agrees wholeheartedly, and just like that, they're in the talent show business.

Since this is a competition – the first place prize is a hundred dollars; certainly nothing to be sneezed at – Kurt insists they take it much more seriously than their little performance for the Glee Club. And that means costumes, which is how they find themselves in a thrift shop the next afternoon.

"Rachel has a Fanny Bryce wig – naturally – so I can borrow that from her, but I need the rest of my outfit, and we need to find you something layered. It's not often I try to make someone look poor, but authenticity is important. I don't want to rip off the movie exactly, though. We need to make it our own."

Dave nods. "I understand. I want to win this thing," he adds with a grin. "Sorry, I can be pretty competitive."

"Never apologize for that. I consider it one of my own best qualities."

"Glad we're on the same page," Dave says.

For some reason, it reminds Kurt of his discussion with Rachel. He decides to take advantage of the situation to do some fishing. "So how do you see your character then? Like, as a boyfriend? If we're making it our own, I mean."

"Well, I like how in the movie, their relationship is pretty equal. They take care of each other. When one's down, the other one steps up. I think we have to keep that dynamic."

"Is that how you'd feel about a real relationship?" Kurt asks, feigning great interest in a rack of leggings.

"What do you mean?"

"I've just been thinking about things like that lately," he says, trying to stay vague. "How a relationship should work, ideally."

"Probably natural after a breakup," Dave agrees. Kurt breathes an internal sigh of relief that Dave seems to get where he's coming from and isn't making things weird. "But yeah," Dave continues, "I think equality is really important in a relationship. That's one of the things I like about this song. It's not about one person vowing to give everything up for the other one. It's about how they'll both protect each other to the best of their ability. If… If I were dating someone, I'd want it to be like that."

Kurt chances a glance at Dave, but his expression is carefully neutral. "Me too. When I date someone else, I mean. It… It wasn't really like that for me and Blaine," he admits. He hadn't intended to talk about himself, but the words just sort of slip out. "He could be… selfish at times. Unintentionally, I believe, but just the same. Next time, I want to find someone who thinks of my feelings first."

Dave swallows hard, and Kurt thinks he's about to say something when a salesgirl steps between them. "Are you interested in trying anything on?" she asks, looking pointedly at the leggings that Kurt has twisted in his hands. He hurriedly smoothes the fabric, wondering when during his soul-baring he'd tortured them into a wad.

"No thank you, I'm fine," Kurt says, willing her to go away.

However, Dave speaks up, asking her about coats, and she leads him across the store, leaving Kurt to twist his leggings and wonder what possessed him to cross his carefully-constructed boundaries. For some reason, all he can think of now is how he can totally see Dave putting Kurt's needs above his own, consulting him, protecting him, appreciating him.

Damn Rachel anyway for putting these thoughts in his head. Dave had told him in no uncertain terms that he hadn't been thinking about Kurt when he'd leaned in for a kiss during their early rehearsals, and nothing even the slightest bit unchaste has happened since then. Except that one time in Kurt's dream, which totally doesn't count.

It was clearly his imagination that Dave had been about to say something important and profound. If he had been, he wouldn't have let the salesgirl take him away, and he wouldn't be on the other side of the store trying on coats with a smile on his face like he hasn't a care in the world. Kurt shakes his head to clear the fog.

Dave Karofsky doesn't like him. He wants to do well in the competition and he wants to win. He'd said so not ten minutes earlier. Kurt can easily get on that page. Strictly professional.

~*~

"Oh, lover, I'll cover you," Kurt sings, putting his heart into the "Yeah, yeah, yeah," letting his voice blend with Dave's. 

"Oh, lover, I'll cover you," they finish together, the last note trailing off. They're both breathing hard, but they're grinning at each other like idiots because they sound _great_.

"We are so going to win this," Dave says smugly, dropping back onto Kurt's bed and leaning back on his hands like he owns the place. He's certainly gotten more comfortable with being in Kurt's space during their rehearsals.

The talent show is in two days, and they have their song and their dance routine down cold. Kurt loves everything about it, but he's been hesitant to bring up his final idea. Dave looks so triumphant and comfortable, though, and Kurt's buoyed by their successful rehearsals, so he just goes for it.

"Do you think we should kiss?"

"What? Now?" Dave squeaks, struggling a little as he sits up too fast.

"No!" Kurt shouts, maybe a bit too loud, as his tired vocal cords protest. "I meant at the end of the song. During the performance," he stresses, keeping his voice carefully lowered.

Dave blushes, refusing to look directly at Kurt. "Sorry, I didn't really think you meant…" He coughs and starts again. "I don't know. We sort of faked it when we did it in Glee. I figured we'd just kinda do that again. Or not. Whatever. I mean, whatever you're comfortable with. I don't want to… Because of, like…"

"David, please," Kurt interrupts, unable to keep watching Dave flail. "I thought we agreed to start over with each other."

"It's not that easy, Kurt," Dave protests, and Kurt realizes he's been handling the situation with Blaine-like selfishness. He's cast himself as the victim and assumed that if he was able to move on, that certainly Dave would be able to as well. It hasn't occurred to him until this moment that Dave might bear his own type of wounds, and just because Kurt's have healed doesn't mean that Dave's have.

"I'm sorry," Kurt says, pulling his desk chair close until they're nearly knee-to-knee. "I've been insensitive about all of this. Just because I'm able to move past it, it doesn't mean you feel the same."

"I know you say you're past it," Dave says, meeting Kurt's gaze for the first time since they finished their song, "but I sometimes feel like if I get too close or if I say the wrong thing, you'll think I'm… trying to hurt you."

"I'm not afraid of you. And you don't need to be afraid of me," Kurt tells him, reaching out and taking both of Dave's hands. "Let's try it. Just acting, okay?"

Dave nods, Adam's apple bobbing as he swallows. "Just acting," he repeats. He allows Kurt to pull him off the bed, turning to take a drink of water while Kurt starts their music for what seems like the hundredth time that day.

It's not as good. Their voices both waver a little, and their dance steps aren't as dramatic. Kurt's voice cracks on a high note. But at the end, as they let the note fade, their faces close together, Kurt lets his eyes close and Dave takes Kurt's face in his hands, bringing their lips together. The pose is a lot like the first time, but it's all gentle and tentative in this incarnation.

He brings his hands up to touch Dave's biceps and Dave immediately begins to pull away, probably thinking Kurt is pushing him aside like last time, but Kurt is having none of that. He says, "Yes," because verbalizing consent is important with their past, but he doesn't waste time with any more than that before pulling Dave back against him. Thankfully, Dave seems to understand, because he tightens his grip on Kurt's face, tilting his head just enough to get the angle perfect before his mouth is on Kurt's again, his lips soft but unsure.

Even with Kurt enthusiastically kissing him back, Dave is still timid, frozen in place like he's braced for Kurt to run. Afraid he's pushing too hard, Kurt lets Dave go, stepping away with a sigh of regret. Obviously it's been too long since he's been kissed, because he'd been enjoying their _acting_ a little too much.

Dave's cheeks are red and he looks away, almost guiltily. "Um, so, do you think that will work? Like, on stage, I mean?"

"Definitely," Kurt says definitively, trying to maintain an air of professionalism. "We should do that. I'm sure the audience will like it."

"Kurt, I…" Dave starts, twisting the hem of his sweatshirt nervously. "I just don't want to do anything…" 

"I know," he interrupts. "I get it, I do. But if we're going to win, you can't be afraid of me. You're not supposed to be you kissing me; you're supposed to be Collins kissing Angel. You have to just go for it! Man up! It's just acting, remember?"

Kurt tries to tell himself that he's doing this because he wants to put on a great performance and win the talent show, not because Dave is so gentlemanly and respectful and thoughtful and kissing him had felt so good that Kurt needs it to happen again. At that thought, he has a flashback to his sex dream, and he wishes for a second that the song required a lengthy session of frottage.

"I guess…" Dave says, pulling Kurt out of his reverie. He doesn't sound very sure, but Kurt smiles encouragingly. And what he hopes is a little seductively. 

They take their places again and Kurt doesn't bother with the music. He sings the last line a capella, and Dave twirls him into his arms, holding him close and harmonizing with him, their faces inches apart. A half second passes when Kurt's afraid Dave is going to chicken out, but then he grabs Kurt and plants one on him.

It's masculine and intense, and Kurt feels like every swoony silver screen heroine he's ever envied. Dave's hands are strong and powerful, holding his face and tilting his chin up just right. It's over far too soon for Kurt's liking, and Dave steps back, blushing and shifting from foot to foot. "Are you sure that was okay?"

"It was amazing," Kurt breathes, not thinking before he speaks. Something flickers across Dave's face, and Kurt hastens to amend, "For the performance, I mean. You were a perfect Collins."

"Good. I, uh… You were good too," Dave adds, tugging at his sleeves.

Kurt sort of wants to ask if he wants to practice some more, but he doesn't want to tire his voice unnecessarily, and he's not sure how to propose kissing practice without being entirely transparent. It's not as if he can just say, 'Want to make out?' unless he wants to take things to a place they definitely shouldn't go, especially not right before their performance. It's just acting, he reminds himself. Playing characters.

"I guess I should let you rest," Dave says, clearly uncomfortable with Kurt's prolonged silence. "I'll see you tomorrow in school."

Kurt murmurs agreement and sees Dave out, waiting until his car is out of sight before he goes back upstairs and flings himself on the bed. He tries to tell himself that he's just hard-up because it's been a while, and a few nice – okay, amazing – kisses aren't cause to start developing a ridiculous crush on someone. 

It's the height of unprofessionalism to develop feelings for one's costar, anyway. He's old enough to not confuse fantasy with reality. Shaking his head at himself, he rolls off the bed and resolves to begin his math homework.

~*~

 

Luckily, Kurt and Dave are both so busy the afternoon of the talent show, fussing with their costumes and making sure they have everything in order that they forget to be awkward basket cases with each other. It's a blessing from the gods of theater, it really is.

In Dave's case, it's mostly because he's an awkward basket case about the fact that his parents are going to be attending the show. His coming-out to them was old news, accomplished before he'd even switched back to McKinley, and they were apparently on board with his newfound love of the performing arts, but this was going to be the first time they saw him perform, and it was at a gay bar talent show with a boy in a skirt and wig, ending with some man-on-man kissing.

Kurt sympathizes, he really does, but he bites back any offer to tone it down. Call him selfish, but he's not risking either his first place finish or his kiss, even if it is just part of the show.

By pure good luck, they're scheduled toward the end of the event, and as they watch the other acts – heavy on lip-synching drag queens and nervous pianists – their confidence rises. By the time they're about to go on, they're both positively preening. "Let's go win this thing," Dave says, grinning as he grabs Kurt's hand. "We're gonna be amazing."

The easy way he says 'we,' attributing their assured success equally, neither claiming the spotlight for himself, nor fawning over Kurt's talent at the expense of his own, hits something down low in Kurt's belly and he nearly trips on his platform shoes going up the steps. But Dave's arm is under his instantly, keeping him balanced, and Kurt thinks, 'I'm in love with you,' and he's not sure if he's in character or not.

It's with that sensation simmering in his belly that Kurt goes onto the stage and kills it. He's pretty sure magic is shining out of his eyes, and Dave feeds off his onstage energy like they were made for each other, twirling Kurt with an easy confidence that feels effortless. Their voices soar and entwine perfectly, and on the last note, when Dave grabs Kurt's face and kisses him, Kurt kisses him back as Angel and as himself.

The deafening applause ruins their moment, startling them apart and forcing them off the stage. "That was incredible," Kurt breathes, still clutching Dave's arm.

"I know! We sounded the best we ever have! And I think we really sold the kiss, too! We're gonna win, I know it!" Dave says, holding up his hand for a high five, like they're some kind of _bros_. 

Clearly, Dave isn't suffering from any illusions about what's real and what's an act, and Kurt shakes himself, trying to get on the same page. He's just moved by his own brilliant performance. Nothing's changed, and he'd swear to that in court.

They win, of course, because they're a brilliant team. Dave introduces Kurt to his parents, who look a little fish-out-of-water, but they're clearly making an effort. He catches both of them eyeing him speculatively, like they're trying to figure out if Kurt is really the platonic friend he's been billed as. He wants to say something like, "Don't worry, your son clearly has absolutely no interest in me," but he has no desire to make things more awkward for them.

Speaking of awkward, his father and Carole are there too, congratulating them both, and chatting amicably with Dave's parents, which somehow causes them to join in with the speculative looks.

Kurt extricates himself from them and rushes over to Finn and Rachel. "I'm going to kill you," he announces to Rachel, dragging her from Finn's side to a more private area. "You ruined everything."

"Don't you want to hear what I thought of your performance?" she asks with a smirk.

"No. Why did you have to insinuate that Dave has feelings for me?"

"Because he does?"

"He does not!"

Rachel sighs. "I saw how he kissed you on that stage tonight."

"Yes, the kiss that was immediately followed by disclosures that it was only acting. Oh, and that oldest of romantic gestures, the high five."

"So you like him now?"

"My feelings are moot, as he is very obviously not interested in me," Kurt protests.

"Honestly, Kurt! After everything you've told me, I'd be disappointed in him if he made a move without your explicit permission. If you want him, you have to tell him. And make it crystal clear."

Her words make sense, but he can't bring himself to agree. He also can't protest because his only argument is the most pathetic one of all – what if he bares his soul and is rejected? He's still stinging from Blaine's abandonment. If he lays himself bare and Dave gives him a polite 'thanks but no thanks,' it's going to kill him.

"He's already put himself out there as much as he's going to, Kurt."

"How many times do I have to tell you? When he kissed me last year, that wasn't about love or even lust," Kurt starts, gearing up for his oft-repeated diatribe.

"I don't mean that kiss. I mean the songs. Especially the first one. Have you listened to the lyrics? It's about mistreating someone you love dearly and being so sorry for it. About admitting that you can't ever forget them and you want to make it up to them. He sang that for you, you have to know that, Kurt."

Rachel's face is glowing earnestly, and he wants to believe her, but something stops him. Maybe it's his baggage with Blaine. Maybe it's everything that happened with Dave. Maybe just his own insecurity, but he can't embrace the idea that Dave has been carrying a torch for him all this time and is merely waiting for Kurt's okay. He just can't quite believe it.

He falls asleep listening to "Always On My Mind" on repeat, which does nothing to help him sort out his confusing feelings.

~*~

The next night is Sunday, and Kurt goes to bed early, figuring he needs his beauty rest to face Dave in school on Monday. 

His brain has other plans, though, and he wakes up in the middle of the night, breathless and sweating, still in the grips of a stress dream about missing his flight to Regionals. He shakes himself fully awake and checks his phone. It's only a little after two in the morning, plenty of time for more sleep, but his neck hurts from tension so he sits up, rolling his shoulders. He already has Facebook open on his phone, and without really thinking, he types in, 'Not worth going to bed early if my brain is going to torment me with nightmares,' and hits submit.

He rolls out of bed to splash some cool water on his heated face and when he gets back, his phone is blinking. He's got a text from Dave that reads, _Saw your fb. Everything ok?_

It's such a sweet, boyfriend-like gesture that it almost hurts. Dave being solicitous is not going to help him fight off his ridiculous crush. Sighing, Kurt responds, _Fine, just a stress dream. Why are you still up on a school night?_ Maybe injecting some levity will keep him from getting mushy.

_Lost track of time playing cod. Was about to go to sleep tho._

_I won't keep you then._ Kurt texts back.

_Np. I can stay up if you need to talk._

It's tempting, and Kurt almost asks him to call, but he restrains himself. In his weakened mental state, he's likely to embarrass himself. Instead he texts, _I promise it's fine. See you tomorrow. And thanks._

Dave sends him back an affirmative reply, complete with a smiley face, and Kurt has to practically force himself to set his phone aside and get back in bed. Staring at the ceiling, he finally allows himself to think of what it would be like if he and Dave were dating. It's unfair to compare them, but even just as a friend, Dave is everything Blaine wasn't. The ease with which he shared credit for their successful performance the night before had been so refreshing Kurt had felt like weeping, and he realizes how sad that is, since that's how it _should_ be with a couple.

As Rachel had implied, everything had always felt like a competition with Blaine, even when it wasn't. Auditions for _West Side Story_ had been a fiasco. Kurt is man enough to admit that Blaine had been a perfect Tony, but the way it went down, with Blaine insisting he didn't want the role, yet auditioning with one of Tony's songs, still didn't sit well with Kurt. He'd tried to make the best of it, but it had hurt.

The thing that stings the most, though, is the way Dave still expects Kurt to be afraid of him. The way he's so respectful, knowing he hasn't earned back the right to touch Kurt without permission because of his previous actions. What Kurt's still never managed to confide to Dave is what happened with Blaine that night after Kurt and Dave ran into each other at Scandals. The fact that Blaine attempted to force himself on Kurt, much more insistently than Dave had, and honestly, much more traumatically.

Dave had kissed Kurt, yes, and it had been wrong, and, in the moment, horrifying and frightening. But when Kurt had pushed him away, Dave had gone. Maybe not happily, but he'd stopped, taking his anger out on a locker instead. And they were virtual strangers, with Dave playing the part of Kurt's antagonist for months. Yet, he'd showed more respect for Kurt's decision to stop than Blaine had, and Blaine had supposedly loved him.

And immediately after, Blaine had been angry at _Kurt_ , whereas Dave had been angry at himself. 

Of course, Blaine had blamed the alcohol – eerily reminiscent of the Rachel incident – and Kurt had forgiven him, just as he'd forgiven him for what happened with Rachel, what happened with Tony, etc. And he'd never even noticed the pattern. Not only that, he'd rewarded Blaine, given him his virginity and six months of his life (much more than that, if you count the time Kurt spent pining), only to have Blaine's head turned so easily by Sebastian's flattery.

Kurt rolls over, punching his pillow angrily. Had Blaine ever even had real feelings for him? The more he thinks about it, the more he feels duped and disgusted.

Too angry to sleep, he picks up his phone again, and without really thinking about it, clicks over to Dave's Facebook page. He hasn't updated since yesterday and his top status still says, _Kicked so much ass at the Scandal's talent show! Raised tons of money for a great cause and won some to take home too. So proud of myself and of my amazing duet partner, Kurt!_ He's even tagged Kurt in the status, sharing credit so easily. There are a bunch of comments congratulating Dave, and Kurt scrolls through them, smiling as he relives the show.

Kurt 'liked' the status yesterday, but as he's staring at it, he wants to say more. He types, _You were the amazing one! That was quite possibly the best time I've ever had on stage. I hope this was just the start of many duets to come!_

He hits enter before he can reconsider. It's all true; he might as well say it. Just that little exchange has lifted his spirits to the point that he feels ready to attempt sleep again. He turns on Pandora and puts on a soft oldies station, just to have something quiet in the background. He's just drifting off to sleep when a song catches his attention. Barely breathing, he listens to the lyrics. It's perfect. It's the ultimate, over-the-top declaration of love, _and_ it's in his range. 

It's a sign. It has to be.

Fighting it is useless. No matter what he's been trying to hell himself, his feelings have blasted right past 'crush' into 'hopelessly smitten,' and there's only one thing to do for it. He has to put himself out there. It's his turn. Dave had done it once before, confessing, maybe not feelings for Kurt, but his deepest secret about himself, almost involuntarily. And maybe it hadn't been the best moment, but Dave's more than redeemed himself since then.

The Bullywhips, the way he'd tried over and over to hide, and how he'd finally embraced himself and come out, his repeated apologies that went deeper than lip service. Especially his overwhelming respect for Kurt's feelings and his person.

And more than that, it's their musical chemistry, it's Dave's broad shoulders in a stupid thrift store trench coat, the way he stretches out on Kurt's bed like he owns it, and kisses Kurt like getting to touch him is a precious gift.

Fighting is _more_ than useless. It's stupid. Dave's a great guy and he'd be an amazing boyfriend. He comes into his own more and more each day and it's only a matter of time before someone else sees it.

Kurt's not going to let him get away. He's going to do it. He's ready.

~*~

 

Step one of Kurt's plan involves confiding in Sam, because he needs an accompanist and the song is just begging for an acoustic guitar. The original track is dated, but with a modern guitar sound, Kurt knows he can make it perfect. He doesn't tell Sam why he's singing it or for whom, but he can tell by Sam's smirking that he has his suspicions. The lyrics are pathetically overt. Kurt can't even bring himself to care, though.

He just makes Sam promise not to tell Finn (and by extension, Rachel), because her 'I told you so's' are going to be legendary as it is. He'd just as soon wait until after his public display to hear them. 

While it's definitely more in Kurt's nature to torture the song until it's perfection, he forces himself to make it ready by the next Glee Club meeting. He can't bear to draw it out. The only thing he's nervous about, besides the potential for crushing rejection, is Blaine. He wishes dearly that Blaine would just transfer back to Dalton to be with his smarmy boyfriend, or at the very least, cede Glee to Kurt, but that's probably too much to ask.

Kurt just hopes that Blaine doesn't throw things or boo or do something else heinous once he realizes what Kurt's doing and why. 

It's probably counterproductive, but Kurt ignores Dave all week to the point that Dave texts him asking if something's wrong. Kurt texts him back saying he's working hard on a super-secret Glee project. Dave's encouraging texts, enthusing that he can't wait to hear it steel Kurt's resolve.

When it's finally time, Kurt arranges his stool so he can look Dave right in the eyes without it affecting his posture, and, heart in his throat, nods for Sam to begin playing.

The now-familiar notes threaten to choke him up, but Kurt calls on his discipline and deep-seeded professionalism to overcome.

Raising his eyes to meet Dave's, Kurt begins to sing, "If a picture paints a thousand words, then why can't I paint you? No words will ever show, the you I've come to know."

He almost re-thinks his plan when the raw emotion in Dave's eyes makes his stomach churn and his mouth go dry, but he presses on, earnest and pure in his intentions, the over-the-top words leaving no room for confusion on Dave's part.

When he reaches the last, soaring note, he closes his eyes, and the next thing he's aware of is warm, strong hands cupping his face in a now-familiar gesture. When Dave kisses him this time, it's with the knowledge that Kurt just gave him a big go-ahead, so his tentativeness is nowhere to be found and he kisses Kurt with all the pent-up passion that Kurt's been dying to feel from him.

He's vaguely aware of their friends hooting and hollering (and I-told-you-so-ing), but his consciousness has narrowed down to nothing but Dave's lips, his hands, and – oh goodness; in the choir room? – his _tongue_ , so he can't pay them any mind at all.

After a few heated moments, Mr. Schuester ruins it with a strangled cough and a "That's enough for now, boys," and they break apart, breathing heavily, both thoroughly pleased and embarrassed. And, if Kurt's honest, a little turned-on.

Finally, Kurt summons the courage to look around, and nearly everyone is smirking at him victoriously. No matter, he'll let them gloat if he gets to keep kissing Dave in the near future. Blaine is making a face like someone stepped on his suede loafers, but he's still in the room, so that's more than Kurt had hoped for. Blaine sees Kurt looking and Kurt gives a little shrug, trying to convey, 'Sorry, but you dumped me, I get to move on' through shoulders, but it clearly doesn't work since Blaine rolls his eyes and looks away. Obviously, they have some things to work through, but that can be scheduled for a time far from now. 

What's important in the moment is sitting down next to Dave and pretending that he's ready to hear whatever it is that Santana and Brittany are about to sing for the group, but focusing on taking Dave's hand in his, measuring the way their fingers fit together. Dave's hand is bigger than Blaine's, and it's reassuring in its differentness. 

Dave indulgently lets Kurt play with his hand, smiling and bobbing his head to the girls' song, even as he keeps sneaking glances at Kurt out of the corner of his eye, as if Kurt might disappear at any moment. It's kind of adorable, like he's not sure this is real life. It makes Kurt feel special. Wanted. It's a good feeling.

Mr. Schue is talking about something that might be important, but Kurt leans over and whispers, "I'm really glad things worked out like this."

"Me too. I hoped, but I never really thought…" He squeezes Kurt's hand tighter and takes a breath. "I'll make it up to you. All of it. Whatever it takes."

"You don't owe me anything," Kurt argues. "We're starting this on even ground. As equals."

Dave nods and raises Kurt's hand to his mouth, brushing his lips across the backs of Kurt's knuckles. Kurt grins at that, always a sucker for romantic gestures.

"But if you're determined, I seem to remember a line from a song. How does it go?" He tilts his head for effect, as if he's trying to recall the lyrics, but they're ingrained in his memory forever. Under his breath, he sings quietly, "Just pay me back with one thousand kisses."

Dave stifles a laugh against the back of Kurt's hand, then stretches forward, kisses Kurt, and reclines back in his chair before anyone can admonish them for not paying attention. "That's one."

Kurt grins and leans against Dave's shoulder, willing the meeting to be finished. He really can't wait to get started on the next nine hundred and ninety-nine.

~The End~

I TRIED to edit to include featured songs from the fic, but apparently my html is as rusty as my Glee muse. Anyway, the version of "Always on My Mind" is the Michael Buble cover, and the song Kurt sings is an acoustic version of "If" by Bread. Everything else is specified. Thanks for reading!


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